Usefulness of TC-99M GSA liver scintigraphy for the evaluation of liver regeneration in donors after living-donor liver transplantation.
OBJECTIVE
We evaluated the impact of steatosis on regeneration and function of the remnant liver by using technetium-99m-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid-galactosyl human serum albumin scintigraphy.


METHODS
Twelve living donors were classified into groups with or without mild hepatic steatosis according to the liver-to-spleen attenuation ratio on computed tomography: six donors had a ratio > or = 1.2 (control group) and six had a ratio < 1.20 (fatty liver group). Scintigraphy was performed to determine the hepatic uptake ratio of the tracer (corrected for disappearance from the blood) and the maximum removal rate of the tracer by hepatocytes as parameters of the hepatic functional reserve.


RESULTS
The fatty liver group had a significantly lower corrected hepatic uptake ratio and removal rate compared with the control group at 6 and 12 months after partial hepatectomy. The regenerated liver volume estimated by scintigraphy did not differ significantly between the two groups at any time.


CONCLUSIONS
Because donors with mild hepatic steatosis showed impaired liver regeneration at 1 year after partial hepatectomy, management of these donors requires more care.
Kaibori
M
M
Department of Surgery, Kansai Medical University, Osaka, Japan. kaibori@hirakata.kmu.ac.jp
Ha-Kawa
S-K
SK
Matsui
K
K
Saito
T
T
Kamiyama
Y
Y
D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D001706:Biopsy; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006498:Hepatectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008115:Liver Regeneration; D019520:Living Donors; D008297:Male; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D013668:Technetium Tc 99m Aggregated Albumin; D016284:Technetium Tc 99m Pentetate; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D013668:Technetium Tc 99m Aggregated Albumin; C070561:technetium Tc 99m DTPA-galactosyl-human serum albumin; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D016284:Technetium Tc 99m Pentetate